Derrick construction



Feb. '3, 1925. 1,525,214

W. A. TROUT DERRIOK CONS TRUCTION Filed Nov 20. 1923 lIn i 'mlm Patented Fels. 3, 35925.

estaria VJLLIAl/I il. TRGUT, @E QJGELES, CALXFRN'IA, ASSGNOR T0 Ell/ISC() STEEL PRODUCTS CMPANY, A CRPDRAILIQN @F CALIFORNA.

BERE/EGE CDNSTR'UCTEION.

application flied llrrsfexnber 20, 1923. 'Serial No. 675,795.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that l, illuminer A. TROUT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county ot1 Los Angeles, State of California, have invented a new and useful Derrick Construction, of which the tot.

lowing is a specification.

lThis invention relates to well drilling equipment. and relates particularly to den ricks of thetype used in the/petroleum oil producing industries. l

ln therotary syste-1n of well drilling, the hole is formed byl use of rotary tool driven by a vertical shaft formed of consecutive lengths of drill pipe, this'drilling shaft or st-ring of drill pipe, as it is called, is rotated from the derrick fioor by use of rotary drive mechanism. The string of drill pipe-is supported by the derrick through the use oi block and tackle, and the Weight thereof which must be supported by the derrick structure is often quite large and `in many l instances exceeds the safe stresses for which the derrick was originally designed. This is particularly true when the hole being drilled ranges between 3000 or 4000 feet in depth, as often occurs.

After the drilling operations are comv pleted the only strains placed upon the derlrick are those of handling Well tubing and such lifting as required in the attendance of a pumping well. lt will be recognized thatthe stresses placed on the derriclt after the completion of drilling are comparatively small so that the capacity of the derriclr'is notapproached at any time `after the drillf ing has been completed. It is an object of the invention to provide a derrick having permanent legs and structure suitable to take care of the ordinary stresses and also having auxiliary supporting members arranged for use during the drilling operation'so that the strength of the derricl is ample to care for the strains incuri-edv due tothe supportingl of great lengths, of drill pipe, which auxiliary members may be quickly removed'after the drilling'operation has been completed, thus leavingrv a derrick structure which is ample for a pumping or producing well.

Itis a further object of the invention to provide securement means 'whereby the auxiliary members may be conveniently secured and uickly detachable'without exces- I bar 20 bent on a curvature at 21 substansive experi iture of time and labor.

it is a further object of the invention to provide a derriclr having a novel tubular and structural combination in the design of the legs thereof, thus producing` marked rigidity and resistance.

The especial advantages of the invent-ion and further objects thereof will be'inade l evident hereinafter.

Referring to the drawing which is for illus'trative purposes only:

Fig. 1 isa fragmentary horizontal section illustratingmy lmproved derrick construction.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary elevation taken as indicated by the arrow 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section showing the securenient and spacing means employed in ythe practice of the invention.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic plan View of .a derrick licor showing the arrangement of primary angle iron derrick members and the lrelative arrangement oiv tubular secondary members.

As shown in the drawing, the derrick is usually constructed of four legs 11 placed in the arrangement shown in Fig. 4.

mid form. The primary legs 11 are tied together at regular intervals by yirts 12 and diagonal struts 13', both of Whic i preferably consist of structural angles, such members 12 and 13 being secured to the primary legs 11 bythe use of gusset plates which bolt to the .legs 15 of the members 11. Within the V shaped opening or angular space between the legs15 of each structural angle member constituting a leg 11, is placed-an auxiliary or secondary leginember consisting of" a pipe string 17. This pipe string consists of a suitable number of standard vpipe lengths secured together by collars 18 so that a con;l tinuous tubular member equal in length to one of the derrick legs is Jformed.

In the erection of a derrick, bolts and rivets arev employed, the heads of which project on the inner faces 1 of the angle members constituting the primar-y legs. The inventionem'ploys means whereby the secondary legs are secured to the primary legs but are apart from the legs 1,5 so that clearance for the bolt heads'v and the collars 18 is provided. This spacing'means is in the form of a flat These legs extend substantially vertically, but con verge, as they progressfupwardly, in pyra- 'A maintained in arrangement spaced slightly tially the same as the circumference of the pipe 17 and having the ends 22 and 23 thereof extending tangentially at right angles to each. other so as to fit against the inner faces of the legs. Strap bolts 25' are provided which consist of round stoel; centrally flattened and having the ends 27 thereof left cylindrical and t ireaded so that nuts 30 may be screwed thereon when the ends 27 are extended through holes 32 and 33 in the members ll and the spacers 20. lf he spacers 20 are distributed along the secondary leg member 17 in proper spacing to produce the binding of the prim try and secondary members together so that they will act integrally in absorbing the strain caused by the placing of loads on the derrick.

When the heavy Work, such as-the drilling of the wellfhas been comple-ted and the Well has been placed in production, the secondary leg member ll may be removed by releasing the nuts 30 and may then be used for other purposes as piping, or for the support of other derricks. lt will be readily recog- Q nized that ythe saving in construction attained inthis manner amounts to considerable as the material which may be temporarily employed andythen removed for transfer to other operations will amount to l0() feet of pipe in a 10G foot derrick. We believe that the economy, and therefore the value of t a transformable derrick of thisy eharacte will be immediately evident.

l claim as my invention:

l. ln a derricl, the combination of: primary angle iron leg members joined in a derrick structure; secondary leg members consisting of lengths of pipe coupled together in continuous arrangement and secured in the Vs of said angle iron leg mem* bers, for reinforcing said primary' members during heavy duty; and spacingI members disposed between said secondary members and the faces of said Vs.

2. In a derrick, the combination of: angle iron `leg members suitably joined in a der.- rick structure; secondary leg members consiSting-of lengths of pipe secured together in continuousstring arrangement for reinforcing 'said primary leg members during heavy duty; and means removably securing said secondary members in the Vs of said angle iron members.

3. ln a derrick, the combination of angle iron leg members suitably joined in a derrick structure; secondary leg members consisting of lengthsl of pipe for reinforcing said primary leg members during heavy duty; and means removably securing saidl secondary members in the Vs of said angle iron members in positions spaced apart sufficiently from said angle iron members to allow clearance for couplings of said pipe.

4. ln a derrick, the combination of: angle iron leg members suitably joined in a der rick structure; secondary leg members consistmg of lengths of pipe secured together in continuous arrangement by couplings for reinforcing said primary leg members during heavy duty; means removably securing 6. lln a derrick, the combination of: angle iron leg members suitably joined in a derriclr structure; secondary leg members consisting of lengths of pipe secured together in continuous arrangement by -couplings for reinforcing Said primary leg members during heavy duty; means removably securing said secondary members inthe Vs of said angle iron members; and bar members between said secondarymembers and the V faces of said primary leg members for spac-l ing said secondary members apart from said primary members to provide clearance for the coupling members of said pipe and for means employed to secure said primaryA members, said vmeans removably securing said secondary members consisting of a strap of quarter circular curvature having threaded portions on the ends thereof which extend at substantially right angles vzto each other, and said bar'members consisting of a quarter circular cunved portion' bent lo the radiusyof the secondary pipes and'having the ends thereof extending perpendicularly so as to resttagainst the inner faces of the angle iron primary legs, and "being equipped with holes in the ends V thereof through which the threaded portions of said securing means are extended.

In testimony whereof have hereunto Iset my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 1st day of Novembergjll923.

yWrLnnnu` A. 'rnoU'r 

